note: photo of Mary McGibboney used with permission from Ann Woodson. photo of headstone used with permission from Virginia Albrecht.
My relationship to Mary McGibboney:
Me
Virginia Marie Stalls (my mom)
Ruth May Craft (grandmother)
Henry Corbit Craft (g-grandfather)
Epanetes “Eppy” Willhite (gg-grandmother)-not exactly sure how her first name is spelled!
Mary McGibboney (ggg-grandmother)
Mary McGibonney was born May 1, 1822 in Guilford County, North Carolina to parents David McGibboney and Elizabeth Allison (note: the marriage record of David and Elizabeth have Elizabeth listed as “Ellison”). Though Mary doesn’t appear on a census record by name until 1850, her father is shown in 1820 and 1830 as living in Guilford County, North Carolina. By 1840 Mary had moved with her parents to Warren County, Tennessee.
On September 11, 1849 Mary McGibboney married William M Willhite in White County, Tennessee. She gained a (step)son, James E Willhite, from William’s first marriage to Jane Bennett.
In 1850 the little family is found living in District 8, White County, Tennessee. Mary is listed as 28 years of age, born in North Carolina. She is listed as a person over the age of 20 years that cannot read and write. William is listed as 28 years of age, born in Tennessee and a farmer (who could read and write). James E is listed as 5 years of age and born in Tennessee.
In 1860 the family was still living in District 8, White County, Tennessee, Post Office New Ark. The family had grown considerably by then. Both Mary and William are listed as 38 years of age. The children living in the household are: James E (age 15 years), Elizabeth J (age 9 years), Barcelona (age 8 years), Martha C (age 7 years), John D (age 5 years) and William D (age 2 years). Something interesting to note is that according to the census William had no real estate and $200 personal estate. The household listed just before his family had Daniel England who owned $8,000 in real estate and $12,000 in personal estate. Just below William and Mary’s family is John Willhite who owned $600 in real estate and $400 (if I am reading that correctly) in personal estate. My first guess is that William Willhite probably worked for Daniel England, but then again he could have lived on John Willhite’s land and worked for him.
By 1870 the family had moved across to West Tennessee. They are found living in Civil District 8, Humphreys County, Tennessee, Post Office Waverly. James E had already left home at the time. Mary and William are both listed as 48 years of age. William’s occupation is farm laborer and Mary is “keeping house”. The children living in the household are: Elizabeth J (age 18 years), Bossey L (Barcelona, age 17 years), Martha C (age 16 years), John D (farm laborer, age 15 years), William D (farm laborer, age 12 years), Eppenetus (“Eppy”, age 9 years) and Travis P (age 5 years). Something I found curious about this census record is that Mary is marked as “deaf and dumb, blind, insane or idiotic”.
I am unable to find Mary on the US Federal Mortality Schedule, but from her headstone in Shannon Cemetery/Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Humphreys County, Tennessee I know that she died on March 7, 1879 when her youngest, Travis, was only 16 years of age.
W.M
WILLHITE
HIS WIFE
MARY WILLHITE
BORN MAY 1 1822
DIED MAR 7 1879
I wish I knew more about Mary McGibboney. I know she was loved dearly by her family and is buried alongside most of them.
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